Monday, February 23, 2009

8 sides


Everyday is a different drawing. I am back from Ohio.

Pictured above is a beautiful example of an octagonal house. I guess they're everywhere, I'd never seen one before. But this one made the inventory.

Pictured below is a beautiful picture if Bushwick.

Monday, February 16, 2009

The moment is still with us...






A week later, Andrew Hurst's performance/ceremony to his dead tarantula still resonates. With lights off and candles lit, Andrew held the space in a stilled moment.

I like this from a another blog, "Nice Work if You Can Get it:"

The other highlight was the night-capping live performance at Pocket Utopia in which Andrew Hurst dissected his dead pet tarantula, bundled up its parts with some bone dust and pot, attached the whole thing to a dozen black helium-filled balloons, and then released it into the night sky. This being Brooklyn, the balloons immediately got caught on the antenna of the warehouse across the street, so it didn’t turn out to be as euphoric as I hoped. I really wish I had a video of this performance to post, but I don’t.All in all, a really great Friday the thirteenth.



Pictures by our resident documentarian, Kevin Regan

Out of the blue


I'm doing a little re-blogging and reading before getting on the road. Joy Garnett's blog is a really interesting read.

Joy, together with one of my favorite curators, Amy Lipton, have put together a show about the weather and the creative process.  With a little bit of effort, I pulled out a perch piece for the show. The show is curated by Amy Lipton, Joy Episalla and Joy Garnett. Just reading their bios is enough of a show, but I've got some other friends in the show too, including Michele Araujo who will be showing at Pocket Utopia in May. Grant even put in a piece.

I just updated the Pocket Utopia website and will continue to get it up to date while away on a little vacation. It takes a lot of time keeping that website up to date. It seems like that's the last thing to get done after the actual artwork is done. It all has to go virtual, eventually.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Hegel says...


We may affirm absolutely that nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion. -GWF Hegel

The above quote is from the book I'm currently listening to in my studio, The Great Bridge, by David McCullough which is the epic story of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. Roebling, Brooklyn bridge designer and builder, was Hegel's protege. 

I just finished listening to disk one. Sixteen more discs to go! I spoke to Amy Smith-Stewart's School of Visual Arts MFA students this week.  Adam Simon is readying for his solo at Pocket Utopia.  Huong Ngo and Emcee are planning a garden party to the full extent of the term as a neighborhood public art project.  Is that passion I feel in the air or a little bit of spring?

Sunday, February 1, 2009

It's the new old world


We are definitely living in interesting times. Lately, most nights find me watching a four year old fall asleep while he clutches a stuffed star.

I just watched "Our City Dreams." Now I'm under the impression that Marina Abramović is a saint and that Nancy Spero is a goddess, which are not bad impressions. The film had a cross-generational theme, offering up portraits of four female artists, one 30 years old (Swoon), one around 40 (Ghada Amer), a 50 year old Kiki Smith, Saint Marina Abramovic (60) and the goddess Nancy Spero (80).

Swoon discussed how totally awesome it was to be working in the street and at MOMA and in the street again and of course, soon at other museums...and I thought about leaving the theater. I stayed, though, to see Ghada Amer reveal her opportunistic ways. Ghada bought a big house in the film. Kiki Smith also lives in a big house. No house is big enough for Marina. Nancy appears to be living in a small apartment, now alone without Leon, that she has always lived in and where she raised her 3 children. And where she probably watched them fall asleep and then she went off to work. And that's where I am now, working.